The Effects of Serotonergic Psychedelics on Neural Activity: A Meta-Analysis of Task-Based Functional Neuroimaging Studies
European Psychiatry March 1, 2023 J. H. Shepherd, C.t.m. Baten, A. C. Klassen et al.
Serotonergic psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA significantly alter neural activation in several regions of the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. Some effects are common across these drugs, while others are unique to each substance. This meta-analysis combined functional MRI studies of both clinical and healthy participants, using multilevel kernel density analysis with ensemble thresholding. The findings clarify the functional neuroanatomy associated with these drugs and may guide future research into their therapeutic and adverse effects, particularly for emerging psychiatric treatments.